The 9 Hard FAQs of Freelance Writing

Freelance writing sounds glamorous, and to the uninitiated, easy. While I
love my profession, here are some hard truths I've learned along the way.

Writing is hard work

There's simply no getting around it, writing is hard work. It takes time to
develop your skill, time to develop an idea, real effort to get it written,
and even more effort to do the necessary rewriting.

Writing ideas are a dime a dozen

Ideas are everywhere, literally. The trick is honing an idea so it meets a
market need. Keep the ideas flowing, but learn to be discerning about them.

Read the writing guidelines

Magazines and publishers go to great lengths to create guidelines for
writers. Read and use these. There's simply no point in ignoring them - they
know what works for their audience.

Read the magazine or the book

It's almost impossible to write for a magazine if you don't read it with at
least some regularity.

Oh you might get lucky, but it's rare. So spend the money to buy an issue
or two, then study it before you pitch an idea or submit an article.

If you're writing a book, read the book catalog and at least one of the
books that's close to yours.

You must learn to market your writing

Marketing yourself and your writing is absolutely key to becoming a
successful freelancer. It must be done, even if you hate it. Fortunately,
there are lots of ways to market, so you're sure to find something that
fits... but find it you must.

Neatness DOES count

The quickest way to rejection is a sloppy manuscript, and with today's
technology, there's simply no excuse... and this includes spelling.

You don't need an agent

You don't need an agent, at least not in the beginning. The time and effort
spent in finding an agent can be better spent finding a market.

Publishing once doesn't guarantee a career

Celebrate your first sale, but not for long. The only way to become a true
success is to keep at it.

It's hard to make a million

Heck, it's hard to make a living at freelancing, let alone a million. But
if you love to write, if you must write, keep at it. With practice and time
and marketing ability, you can make a living, and even a million.